Cricket 1885

474 CRICKET ; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. dec. 24, i m . arrows constituting an “ end” and four ends the dozen shots. Mr. Nesham -won the championship this year at Great Malvern with 211 hits and a score of 917 on the double round, but this was in two consecu­ tive days’ shooting and on a strange ground. The executive of the Essex County Club are losing no time in getting on with the work necessary to make their new ground at Leyton fit for the accommodation of members by the coming cricket season, and already I hear that the foundations of the pavilion are completed. The Com­ mittee have also made a judicious selection in Mr. T . Ratliff as the first Secretary of the Club under the new dispensation. Mr. Ratliff is thorough­ ly well-known to cricketers by his connection with the Free Foresters, M.C.C, and Middlesex County Club, for all of which he has done good service. As Secretary of the Liver­ pool Club, too, in its early days he contributed in a great measure to its prosperity, and, indeed, its position at the present time is mainly due to his tact and energy. A w e l l - k now n * cricketer has been goodenough to send me the following extract from the Times of Saturday, respecting King Thebaw’s partiality for cricket in his younger days. In July, 1860, when Thebaw was 12 years of age, he was placed under the oharge of Dr. Marks, a well-known missionary, who had just opened a Society for the Propaga­ tion of the Gospel school at Mandalay. It was established by the desire of the late King, and was attended by nearly 300 pupils. There were at that time eight of Thebaw’s brothers, all about the same age, at Dr. Marks’s School. Thebaw remained there until March, 1870, when he ceased to attend. Thebaw learnt to Fpeak English tolerably rnd read it a little; bat he has since forgotten whatever English he knew. In hi3 schooldays Thebaw was fond of crick* t, a game which of late years is largely ] lay<d by the Burmans. He batted fairly well, but refused to do his share of fielding, »nd was in the habit of usiD g very in ju riou s la- guage to anyone who bowled him. My correspondent thinks Thebaw’s conduct in objecting to fielding and abusing the bowler is not so peculiar as might be supposed. Similar instances, he adds, may be found amongst better educated and more civilized cricketers. It is satisfactory, he considers, and in this all C r ic k e t readers will cordially agree, to learn that cricket is taking root in Burmah. Theremust be great good,he concludes, in a people who can appreciate and enjoy the “ grand old game.” BA X TE R ’ S GAME OF CRICKET AND NEW SINGLE W ICKET GAME. The following hints on Cricket by Wil­ liam Lambert, the celebrated cricketer of the early part of the present century, will be read with curiosity. They appeared in a little book under the above heading. Some of the remarks read a little strange at the present time. CHAPTER I. O f t h e C om m en cfm ek t o f t h e G am e. T h e particulars necessary to be attended to when a Game of Cricket is to be pi »yed are 1st, The number of players; 2nd, The selection of the ground ; 3rd, The choice of umpires; 4th, The pitching of the wickets; and 5th, The disposition of the players on the ground. First, then, for the information of young beginners, it is proper to state that the N u m b er o f P la y e r s In a regular and full game, consists of twenty-two, viz. eleven on each tide; but merely for tbe puroose of practice, a less number may be sufficient. In the second place, with regard to the C hoice of G round , It will be scarcely necessary to direct the attention of players to the choice of a tmooth piece, as being in every respect best adapted. If a small spot or field be chosen, place the wickets as near the centre as con­ venient. Thirdly, As disputes frequently arise in the course of the game, provision is made for their immediate adjustment by appoint, ing at the outset two U m p ir e s , One by each party, to whom all disputes are referred, and whose decision is final and conclusive ; hence it is obvious that such Umpires ought to be men of integrity, and well acquainted with the game. The Um­ pires are to place themselves one at each wicket; and it may be observed that the umpire at the striker’s wicket should stand rather behind it, so as not to be in the way of the players. The Umpire at the Bowler’sWicket should stand exactly behind it, to see that the Striker does not Hop the ball with his leg, for if the Ball is pitched in a straight line with the wicket (but not otherwise), and the Striker stop the Ball with his leg, and does not bit it with his bat, any player may call on the Umpire to decide whether the Striker is out or not. Fourthly, When the Umpires have been fixed on, the next business is P itch in g th e W ick ets , The particulars of which operation are pre­ scribed by the Laws of tbe Game, to which the reader is referred. We shall here only remark, that it is the custom when two matches are played by the same parties, for the one that goes from home to have the choice of innings and pitching the first wicket, which must be within 30 yards of a centre fixed on by the adversaries, but this must be agreed on at the time of making the match, and if only one match is played, or two on the same ground, the Umpires must perform the office of pitching the wickets. In the Game for practice, the Bowlers should consult each other, and u se their best endeavours to p'ace them on the most smooth and level place the nature o f th e ground will admit, bu t the Umpires m u st see th a t th ey are D itched in fair situ a tion s for b o th parties. The fifth and last preliminary step to be here noticed, is T h e D isposition of the P layers in the F ield ; Which, generally speaking, should be in the manner represented in the plate, and as will be hereafter more particularly described when we come to mention each player separ­ ately ; but the Bowler and Wicket-Keeper will probably see it necessary to alter a little the position of the men standing out, according as the different players vary in striking, or as the nature of the Game may require, always observing as much as possible, to place each person in the situa­ tion which he has been most used to, and also to be particularly careful to prevent confusion. CHAPTER II. O f the B owler and S trik er . H avino thus made the necessary prepara­ tions for playing we next proceed to action. And as the Bowler and Striker occupy two of the most important situations in the game, we purpose here to give a variety of practical directions for the due performance of their duty, and which, if attended to, will greatly contribute to their success. The distance between the wickets, laid down in the Laws, vie. twenty-two yards, is the proper and only distance that should be used, as bowling the right length is more to be depended on, if not altogether straight, than bowling at an improper length, though straight. It is best to practise with a Ball of full size and weight, observing the length the ball should be pitched, and using yourself to one particular distance of run­ ning and attitude, before delivering the ball. A small variation in the distance will ma­ terially injure your mode of bowling, and therefore, after you have once discovered the proper distance, you will do well to make some small mark on the ground as a guide, and to deliver the ball with one foot over, or in the bowling-crease, and the other behind it, at which side of the wicket you find most convenient, and which you have the liberty of varying as often as you please. Bowling is an important part of the Game, and requires great steadiness and compo­ sure. Bad bowling is often the cause of losing a game, and as some indifferent players are apt to put themselves forward as bowlers when there are others in the Eleven much more proper for that place, who are not so assuming, great care ought to be taken in the choice, particularly as it will be to the advantage of all to select, without partiality, the best qualified persons, in whom they can place confidence. A Bowler should always consider the state of the ground on which he is going to bowl, as very fast bowling on hard rough ground is difficult to the Striker. Butwhere the ground is in proper condition, the following Rules may be observed, viz. in glow bowling, the Ball should be delivered so as to ground about 3} yards before the wicket; middling, 4J yards ; and fast bowling, 5 yards ; buttue bowler must use his own judgment in m>king variations according to the play of the striker, and such variations often prove very advantageous. Next Issue January 28-